The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-09-24
Report Of the Grand Jury.

Ol
State Of Louisiana, holding session i'll
and for the parish of st. Martin.
The Grand Jurors impanelled at the
present term Of your Honorable Court.
having terminated their labor and being
about to be discharged beg leave to sub
init the following report and sugges-
tiOns.
This Grand Jury was sworn and COM
iuenced to work on Monday the 9Th inst,
and would have terminated their work
sooner, had it not been necessary to adj
journ from Monday 18th to this day, to
procure the attendance of witnesses resi-
ding out of this parish, they have in
vestigated four cases Of homicide. two
for stabbing and shooting with intent to
commit murder, one for entering dwell
ling house during the night with intent
to commit rape, eight cases OF larceny,
two for stealing corn in fields, two for
horse stealing, one Of assault with intent
to commit rape, one Of assault with in
tent to kill, one Of cruelty to domestic
animal, six cases of assault and battery,
one for shooting while lying in wait, one
for rape. one for felOniOusly branding or
marking the calf OF another. In many
of the cases of high grade and in most
cases Of larceny, horse stealing and OF
misdemeanOrs. After the evidence of
the prosecution, we are glad to say that
we found no cause to find true bills and
we have so reported 20 your honorable
court.
Considering the population of this pa
rish, that the last grand jury that was
impanelled in this parish, was in OctO-
Der last, and considering the number OF
cases, i'm which no bills were found, we
do not believe that the foregoing state
ment of cases Investigated by US. shows
All increase of crimes, we are on the con.
trary satisfied that there has been, in
reality less violation of the criminal
statutes lately than in the past. This il
great measure is due to better disposi
ton of the people generally to enforce tn
law and punish its viOlators.
A prompt trial of criminal cases, wheI
facts are fresh in the memory Of the wit
nesses, when their attendance at cour
can be procured, almost with a certaint.
would secure the condemnation Of tn
guilty, while at the same time it wOul,
give to the accused the speedy trial Il
which he is entitled. without deprivinl
him of any Of his rights, and wOul'
greatly curtail and diminish the eXpen
SEES and costs which the parish has t
pay. We therefore, respectfully sugges
that your honor avail himself of the pro
visions of act No. 30 of 1880 to order spe
cial juries to try during the civil term
OF your court, cases when the penalty
not necessarily imprisonment at har
labor.
Parish Prison.
We have inspected the Jail. Many pri
sOners are confined in it, several sine
nearly one year. Notwithstanding thei
long confinement, they all have an al
pearance of good health, which is proba
bly, in part, due to the cleanliness Of tn
Jail and to their good and humane treat
meut by the jailor.
We found. confined in Jail two ins an
persons, one white man, the other
cOlored boy. We were informed that IL
white man is of mischiev0us dispOs
ton, and that the cOlOred boy althoug
harmless is 80 helpless, that he requir,